Link’s Awakening guide: How to get the Magnifying Glass and the Boomerang

Throughout Link’s Awakening, you’ll be trading goods between the various residents of Koholint Island. You’ll have to progress through the sequence as you continue through the game’s main story. We walked you through trading up to the Banana in our Slime Key guide, and trading up to the Hibiscus in our Angler’s Key guide.

You can do the first few steps of this process after you complete Angler Tunnel, but you won’t be able to finish it until after Catfish’s Maw.

Below, we’ll walk you through the final of the trading sequence. You’ll end up with a Magnifying Glass that lets you see hidden enemies and read fine print, and a Boomerang that you’ll be using throughout the rest of your adventure.

Table of contents

• Final steps of the trading sequence
• Trade Hibiscus for Goat’s Letter
• Trade Goat’s Letter for Broom
• Trade Broom for Fishing Hook
• Trade Fishing Hook for Necklace
• Trade Necklace for Scale
• Go to the Mermaid Statue to get the Magnifying Glass
• Meet Goriya to get the Boomerang

Final steps of the trading sequence

Nintendo EPD, Grezzo/Nintendo via Polygon

The last five steps of the trading sequence start in Animal Village. You can see the locations and the items on our map above. We’ll go through the details below.

Trade Hibiscus for Goat’s Letter

Head back to Animal Village. Talk to Christine the goat in the second building from the right along the top of the town. She’ll trade you her Goat’s Letter for the Hibiscus and ask you to take it to Mr. Write.

Trade Goat’s Letter for Broom

Use your ocarina to warp to Manbo’s Pond — which you unlocked when you learned Manbo’s Mambo. Go west across the top of the Mysterious Forest. In the top left corner, head up. Jump the holes and enter Mr. Write’s house.

He’ll trade you a Broom for the Goat’s Letter.

Trade Broom for Fishing Hook

Go south through the Mysterious Forest to return to Mabe Village. Talk to Grandma Yahoo on the south edge of town, just east of the library. (Later in the game, Grandma Yahoo will move to the northeast corner of Animal Village. If she’s not in Mabe Village, you should check there instead.)

Give her the Broom, and she’ll give you a Fishing Hook.

Trade Fishing Hook for Necklace

Nintendo EPD, Grezzo/Nintendo via Polygon

Warp to Martha’s Bay — you should’ve activated the warp pad while returning the ghost to his house or when you increased your bomb inventory. Go up and to the right to jump into the water. Swim straight to the right, passing below Catfish’s Maw. Loop around the tiny island with the Owl Statue, and swim under the wooden bridge at the bottom.

In the side-scrolling area, you’ll meet the Fisherman. He’ll trade you his next catch — a Necklace — for the Fishing Hook.

Trade Necklace for Scale

From the wooden bridge where you got the Fishing Hook, swim back around the island and northeast of Catfish’s Maw. You’ll meet a Mermaid.

She’ll trade you a Scale for the Necklace.

Go to the Mermaid Statue to get the Magnifying Glass

Nintendo EPD, Grezzo/Nintendo via Polygon

From the Mermaid, head northeast, and loop down. When you reach the gap (that you can’t dash-jump across), use the Hookshot to cross. Continue up the the Mermaid Statue. Place the Scale, and it’ll move to reveal some stairs.

Downstairs, there are hidden enemies in the first room. Ignore any damage you take and just push your way up. Pick up the Magnifying Glass, and head back outside.

Meet Goriya to get the Boomerang

Nintendo EPD, Grezzo/Nintendo via Polygon

Warp to the Martha’s Bay pad and head west to Toronbo Shores. Walk along the water until you’re just southeast of Sale’s Banana Shop. Bomb the cracked wall to open a door.

Inside, talk to Goriya (who you can only see now that you’ve got the Magnifying Glass). He’ll trade you the Boomerang for what you have equipped in one of your slots. He won’t trade for just anything, though. Equip the Shovel that you picked up while finding the Slime Key. Trade him that for the Boomerang to complete the trading sequence.